Let's begin with a disclaimer: No one should clear the calendar for the first weekend of January just yet, okay?

The Giants are still 3-7 even after their first "winning streak" in two years. Beating a pair of bad teams -- and yes, even though their late comeback made this game interesting, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bad -- did little to change the reality staring them in the face now. The only thing they've likely accomplished is damaging their draft position.

So what receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said the other day still falls squarely under the category of "crazy talk." His full quote:

Don't Edit

Bill Kostroun | AP

"Seven games left, same thing I said last week, we're going to win all these games, and see what happens," he said last week, a few days after the Giants defeated the 49ers. "That's the goal. That's just the goal.

"Same thing I said before the season, the goal is to win a Super Bowl. It's always going to win a Super Bowl. If you're just here to have fun or whatever else, I don't think you should be here. The goal is to win every game. I'm trying to win. If we play 16, I'm trying to win 16. Win the four in the playoffs, and win the Super Bowl. You never want to lose.

"My mentality is going to be win these last seven games, no matter who believes it or what's said, or anything like that. That's going to be my goal."

Again: It's crazy. But after Sunday at MetLife Stadium? It definitely moved from a 15 on a crazy scale of 1 to 10, down to an 11 or so.

The Redskins are 6-4, still in the driver's seat in the NFC East, but just barely. The Cowboys, after a last-second field goal win in Atlanta, are 5-5. The Eagles were destroyed by New Orleans on Sunday afternoon to fall to 4-6. None of these teams look like they belong in the playoffs, but somebody has to win the division -- it's in the NFL rules.

The Giants have six games remaining: at Philadelphia, vs. Chicago, at Washington, vs. Tennessee, at Indianapolis and vs. Dallas. It seems inconceivable that they'd win out, especially with how awful the defense looked in the second half vs. Tampa.

Still ... it's not impossible. Crazy? Yes. But Beckham's words are a little less crazy after another day where crazy ruled in the NFL.

Don't Edit

Here are five observations from the Giants 38-35 win over Tampa:

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

1. SAQUON BARKLEY'S ROOKIE BRILLIANCE CONTINUES

Ten games into his career, and we've pretty much run out of superlatives for Giants rookie Saquon Barkely. He had another stellar game against the Buccaneers and, with six games remaining, still has an outside chance at doing something that only two running backs in NFL history have done and top 1,000 rushing and receiving yards. He had 142 yards on 27 carries against the Bucs.

Don't Edit

Al Bello | Getty Images

Most importantly, of course, was that Barkley found the end zone. This was the first time Barkley had more than one rushing touchdown in a single game, and while it came against the hapless Buccaneers, the Giants offense looked as efficient as it has all season in the red zone. Can they keep it up?

At first glance, it looked like Alec Ogletree had done something very dumb. He took an interception out of cornerback Janoris Jenkins' arms and nearly put it on the ground. But, thankfully for the Giants, he managed to hold onto the ball -- and make a play that put the Giants squarely in control of this game.

Don't Edit

Ogletree returned the interception 15 yards for a Giants' touchdown and a 21-7 lead early in the third quarter. Maybe it's not a surprise that, in two of the Giants' three wins, the linebacker that GM Dave Gettleman acquired in the offseason to improve a weak position has had a crucial interception. He also picked off a pass to secure a victory in Houston.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

3. IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE -- JUST LOOK AT THE BUCS' QB SITUATION

Much has been written -- and much of it by me -- about the Giants' problematic quarterback situation. They have a 37-year-old starter who hasn't been good enough and passed up a chance to draft his successor with the No. 2 overall pick this spring. Everyone is well aware of this. But at least they're not the Buccaneers.

Don't Edit

Bill Kostroun | AP

The Bucs started Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday afternoon over former No. 1 pick Jameis Winston, who had thrown 10 interceptions in limited work this season. Then Winston came into the game and tore up the Giants defense, adding more uncertainty to the muddled situation. Do they move on from Winston in the offseason? Use their likely high draft pick to pick another quarterback? As Jets fans surely know, Fitzpatrick is not the answer. Tampa is in a different level of Quarterback Hell.

I'm not sure I've ever seen this in 20 years covering the NFL: Olivier Vernon had back-to-back-to-back penalties -- a roughing the passer call and two offsides calls -- on Tampa's final drive of the first half to help the Buccaneers get into scoring position. That was 25 free yards for the Bucs without a second ticking off the clock.

Don't Edit

Julio Cortez | AP

Vernon was bailed out when safety Michael Thomas intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick pass a few plays later, but the lack of discipline was hard to ignore. The Giants, one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to putting pressure on the quarterback, need Vernon to be a force. But they also need him to play smarter.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

5. WHEN DID PAT SHURMUR GET CONSERVATIVE?

A few other tidbits and items from the Giants' game and the NFL weekend.

a. Facing a fourth and two from the Tampa 37-yard line late in the second quarter, Shurmur sent his punt team on the field. What happened to the guy who eschewed the old-school approach and went for the two-point conversion down eight points in Atlanta?

b. Some unheralded players on the Giants defensive line had a solid game, including Kareem Martin and Mario Edwards Jr. The former had a sack in the first half, the latter had two quarterback hurries.

c. Landon Collins was not happy after walking out of the sideline tent after getting tested for a concussion -- and took it out on the tent. What is it with the Giants and their battles with inanimate objects on the sidelines?

d. Barkley had a brilliant day, as noted, but he dropped a pass on a wheel route that would have set the Giants up deep in Tampa territory.

e. Jason Pierre-Paul's return included an easy sack of Manning in the first quarter. He overpowered Giants tight end Rhett Ellison and crushed his own teammate, but then helped him to his feet and patted him on the helmet.

f. I'll admit to be confused by JPP's pregame criticism of how the Giants handled his trade to Tampa, though. He was angry that the Giants notified him with "only a phone call" and that owner John Mara didn't call. What more did he expect? A parade?

Don't Edit

Bill Kostroun | AP

g. Odell Beckham Jr. had a 41-yard catch on the first possession of the game, but oddly, that was the only time Manning threw in his direction in the first half. The quarterback was 11 of 12 for 129 yards in the half.

h. The Giants' defense sure does love the fake-photo celebration after big plays. They used it after Thomas' interception at the end of the first half and Ogletree's touchdown to start the third quarter.